Fire destroys home

A Fitzgerald Street home was completely destroyed by a fire Monday afternoon.

Black smoke was the first thing Diana Atkinson noticed when she looked out her window. Looking across the street, she saw a neighbour's house on fire and called 911.

"Just flames right away," she said as more than 22 firefighters battled the blaze, which would eventually include the aerial ladder. "It was quite scary."

Atkinson then ran across the street as she and her neighbours began knocking on doors to get people living nearby to get out of their homes.

Firefighters with Thunder Bay Fire Rescue confirmed that no one was inside the home. No injuries were reported as a result of the fire.

Atkinson said there were a lot of renovations going on at the home and she didn't think anyone lived there.

"It's really sad," she said.

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Fire Rescue platoon chief Joe Grzelewski said the fire was totally engaged by the time firefighters got there. After a cautious attack to the inside, they had to back off because the fire escalated so quickly.

"It'll be a total loss," he said of the home.

"We'll be on scene until it's totally out."

After that, investigators will try to determine how and where the fire started.